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378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm68dB92ZGP
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDfnOzGuwa
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcq4HpqdBc4
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54h2qbXMHB
等到我對這座花園的地形瞭若指掌後，我向王子殿下的貼身女侍——吉莎小姐——借了鏟子和其他工具，並且向她表示我想重整花園的意願。她一言不發就同意我的請求，甚至還派了幾名侍女協助我進行翻土作業。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTifiSjtup8
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbipoDQHuq
雖然吉莎小姐講話的口吻總是冷冰冰的，還時常對身旁的人或事物做出尖酸刻薄的評論，但我卻能在許多小地方感覺得到她的細心，就像她替我們準備餐點時所展現出的專注和洞察力一樣。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZbdRcy98P
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlxNsqEvMN
某天早上，殿下起床後正好去外頭做野獸人宗教的晨間禮拜，而我則一個人待在房間內對至尊陛下做晨禱。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlW3D885lmz
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrBSyCLNKd
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LVHKbFPQg
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHXRPNAOLM
框啷！378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcxqtQlJGT
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydB1cgbYXr
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUERgUIewhB
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8IyyuiHtG
框啷！378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpVTwFKOQc
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVwZIh9uWE
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Zs3bte68Q
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wWtUYmNXa
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEvxGLhbdn
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPSt9hKwjE
據說吉莎的腰上系著一條皮製腰帶，腰上還掛著兩只小陶杯以及一個銅製壺器，裡頭總是裝著殿下愛喝的飲料。每當她走動一步，掛在腰間上的陶杯就隨之震動，發出叮叮噹噹的清脆聲響。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOUBuJH1jB
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaOywjv376
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypkEYBv4Jv
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvTFUssDmF
吉莎缺乏抑揚頓挫的嗓音自我面前響起，隨即傳來的則是陶碗與陶盤擺在地面時發出的清脆聲響。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6wQ1ht9Pi
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6vUwEJuYh
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsCRnA0FOz
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakCzCGxVIc
「喔，這又跟人類的宗教有關了？聽說叫做暴食罪啥的......除了病人或勞動階級之外，普通人不應該吃早餐。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cXl8slhdQ
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRRIvf0lZ1
「妳言重了。我們修女在隱修院內時常得做體力活，所以起床晨禱後會吃點東西果腹。出於宗教因素而禁用早餐一事其實是誤傳，最近也越來越多人習慣在早上吃東西了。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlZ5HyxYEy
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbIxyItQWe
「可是奧絲雅閣下一開始很反對吃早餐，當初是我和殿下好說歹說她才接受的。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPAthwBoXy
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPc4UQ2Pjgt
「她原本就是一名貴族，而且還是來自非常傳統保守的貴族家庭，因此不吃早餐相當符合她的身分地位。」我向吉莎解釋：「但您這裡提供的恐怕皆是宮廷料理，我身為至修女不該食用那麼精緻奢華的食物。我吃我自己帶來的麵包就好。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKcw2rM511
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGVTxfDGcv
「請放心，我特別為海倫娜閣下準備了符合您原本『身分地位』的食物。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4cVseirxj
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcjtB8EcPW
「咦？這話的意思是——」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWRGDCFMdg
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuhpK8pRxP
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIEtCEKDHn
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0O49ccXq0
我伸出手，摸到一種薄如聖體餅的扁形麵包，放進嘴裡咀嚼時平淡無味，適度軟嫩的餅皮卻不會乾硬得難以下嚥。吉莎還同時準備了添加奶酪和酸奶飲料，替這道菜增添一點風味。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7AESvMgtF
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2u5u5XSQ0s
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdheZGBBPUA
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKUWM9pIvT
「非常美味。」我誠實以對，「這餅的味道樸素得宛如黑麥麵包，卻又帶有一股異國風情。我從未吃過這種東西。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpibqDwCZm6
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhkFEjYWDo
「這是獸族常吃的一種家常餅，通常他們會佐以肉湯汁、鷹嘴豆泥或芝麻醬等配料搭配著吃。獨自食用的話它的口感稍嫌單調，不過正好符合您的需求。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBX1pXkqR1
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtvDXa4AjF
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTO2GYkEAd
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSIAw5czTs
「我當然也會準備您過去在修道院吃的麵包或蔬果，午餐或晚餐則提供清淡的白米粥或肉粥配青菜沙拉。但我勸您最好開始習慣獸族的飲食習慣，畢竟您現在有一半的身分是殿下的母獅。請您別忘記這一點。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqo0XOPHbm
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIr6PXpH6M
「我知道了，謝謝妳這麼費心。」我深深地點頭致意，說：「想必王子殿下待人時展現出來的細心之舉，鐵定是從吉莎小姐那耳濡目染學來的。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNAyPxAcj6
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxl5a1TlHb
「哼，如果您這麼當面稱讚王子殿下，那孩子會得意忘形起來，尾巴啪噠啪噠地甩來甩去。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvgcaapCoX
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiPah9mwkv
嗯？我記得奧絲雅也說過同樣的話。我暗暗心想著，獅子尾巴有那麼惹人注目嗎？真讓人好奇。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LSdtbuxUJ
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SITC6aW0f
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ111BPic29P
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutx9Jjofw1
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ipuekLsf9
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mmybag6R2
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYbJqEbZDu
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoihhHlP0G
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvy69SMbkZs
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFAVqg83Kj
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPhyGymjUh
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KlseFc9QH
「這麼問或許有些唐突——」我猶豫了幾秒，接著才開口問道：「您有什麼希望得到或期望的事物嗎？」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkfLcfQps3
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFUQNvupY4
「假如殿下順利成為獸族帝國的皇帝，我就感到謝天謝地了。」她立刻回答我。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kkyF4aMmz
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpoACa1rnK
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoiEbFHQyP
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAwRCDSFdI
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNb1AtQYYV
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2mLBNq6gE
吉莎的期望之物感覺跟殿下有所關聯，看來她真的很在乎對方！378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZENS0Wif4
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZZT1LyJj1
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqygXM0zOE
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq99xYjjux
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZlMwdIgVG
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeOxODh8dk
聽見這個回答，我不由地露出微笑。看來她就跟其他普通女孩子一樣，渴望著美滿的家庭人生。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0WkjIekRw
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrKG4SuhKp
緊接著，兩只陶杯輕碰彼此的聲音重新迴盪起來，吉莎卻仍在喃喃自語著，不過我幾乎快聽不見她模糊的聲音了。378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2YC44ltV1
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtujX5VX36z
所以——378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZs33t4RhH8
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qxPzNadAp
「假如妳和奧絲雅能懷上王子殿下的孩子，也許能讓他更成熟一點。呵呵呵......」378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlUSlOOn6i
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokciVlb4Zf
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
